Grow Your Independent Consulting Business

258. Self-Retention for Independent Consultants: Build a Business You Want to Stay In

Most consultants don't fail dramatically. They burn out slowly, lose faith in what they've built, and one day find themselves dusting off their resume to go back to corporate.In this episode, Melisa introduces the concept of self-retention: treating yourself with the same intentionality a great company would extend to its top performer. In your business, you're also the manager, the CHRO, and the one responsible for making sure that top talent doesn't walk out the door. High performers, like you, stay when the conditions are worth staying for. You get to build those conditions.You'll learn the five retention drivers that keep high performers loyal in corporate environments and exactly how to translate each one into your consulting business so you can build something you actually want to stay in.Stay for the exercise at the end.The episode closes with a practical three-pass exercise to help you build your own self-retention plan by stepping into three distinct roles (owner, CRO, and delivery consultant) so you can see your business clearly from every angle.What you will learn in this episode:[05:00] What “self-retention” means and why consultants often leave because conditions become unsustainable[10:00] Retention Strategy 1. Compensation and security, and how to stop treating revenue like a mystery[15:00] Retention Strategy 2. A growth path and plan so you are not “failing” at skills you never trained for[20:00] Retention Strategy 3. Meaningful work, including the client red flags that create a retention risk[25:00] Retention Strategy 4. Recognition, and why your client is the wrong person to rely on for it[30:00] Retention Strategy 5. Sustainable expectations, so your business stops requiring you to be “on” all the time[35:00] How to build your self-retention plan with a 3-pass exercise you can repeat over timeTune into Episode 258 to learn how to build a consulting business that aligns with your goals, leverages your expertise, and sets you up for long-term success.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Read Melisa’s Book Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-258Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Episode 176 - Set a Compound Goal for Sustainable Consulting Business Growth, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-176/#more-2463 ️Episode 088 – The Burnout Formula for Independent Consultants, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-88/#more-1326  Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

257. The Consultant Trap: “I Should Know Better”

You help clients solve the exact problems you're avoiding in your own business, and a single phrase is keeping you stuck."I should know better." You've probably said it about your pipeline, your pricing, your business development habits, or that operational issue you keep putting off. It sounds like self-awareness. Maybe even humility. But Melisa Liberman makes the case that this thought is quietly costing you clients, revenue, and confidence.In this episode, Melisa breaks down why independent consultants are uniquely prone to this trap. You're literally paid to solve problems, so struggling with your own feels like a personal failing. She explains how "I should know better" masquerades as accountability while actually keeping you in a cycle of self-criticism, avoidance, and inaction.You'll learn why the consultants who build the strongest businesses aren't the ones who never struggle. They're the ones who stop beating themselves up and start leading themselves the way they'd lead a client engagement.Melisa shares a two-step framework to move from self-judgment to executive-level decision-making in your own business.What you'll learn in this episode:[03:10] Why "I should know better" feels productive but keeps you stuck[04:30] When this thought pattern actually serves you, and when it turns toxic[08:00] The real cost: how unchecked self-criticism delays revenue-generating action[13:12] A two-step framework to shift from self-judgment to decisive ownershipThis episode is for you if:You're solving problems for clients that mirror unresolved issues in your own businessYou catch yourself downplaying your struggles because "you should have this figured out by now"You know what to do, but can't seem to do it for yourselfYou want to lead your consulting business with the same clarity you bring to client workFull Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-257Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Take the Consultant Mindset Audit, www.icmindset.com    Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Episode 167 - Being Wrong About Not Needing To Work On Your Mindset, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-167/#more-2414 Episode 188 - Thinking of Yourself as a Managing Partner: A Gamechanger for Your Consulting Business Results, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-188/#more-2518 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

256. How to Shorten Your Consulting Sales Cycle: 4 Strategies to Close Deals Faster

Tired of watching deals drag on for months while your pipeline stalls and your confidence tanks?Here's the truth most consultants miss: you're the one slowing down your own sales cycle.In this episode, Melisa reveals the four strategies that help consultants close deals faster without discounting, settling, or feeling "salesy."You'll discover why corporate buyers aren't actually the problem (even though it feels that way), and how the delays, stalls, and endless "I’ll get back to you” responses are often triggered by how you're showing up in the sales process.This episode dismantles the myth that corporate buyers are always slow and instead puts the focus back on you as the expert, guiding, recommending, and leading your prospects toward clarity and action.Episode Timestamps:[06:01] Why long sales cycles are usually consultant-created and what to do about it[08:23] The Expert Mindset and how certainty speeds up decisions[18:02] The Foot-in-the-Door Offer strategy to generate revenue faster[25:08] How co-creating proposals with your buyer reduces delays and revisions[31:17] The Account Plan and how to stop winging your sales efforts[38:46] 6 questions to self-diagnose where your sales process needs workWhat you'll learn:The hidden consultant behaviors that extend your consulting sales cycle by weeks or even monthsHow to accelerate B2B sales without being pushy or compromising your valuePractical strategies to reduce proposal rework and rescoping delaysHow to lead the buying process with confidence and clarityWhy adopting an expert mindset shortens decision timelinesHow to diagnose and fix weak points in your sales processTopics covered: sales cycle management, consulting business development, B2B sales strategies, client acquisition for consultants, shortening sales timelines, proposal management, consulting sales process, expert positioningStop losing deals to delay. Listen to Episode 256 now and take back control of your sales timeline before another month slips by.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Read Chapter 10 in Melisa’s book, Grow Your Consulting Business: The 14-Step Roadmap to Make Your Independent Consulting Goals a Reality, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXJBGVB    Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-256Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode: Episode 159 - Shorten the Consulting Sales Cycle by Offering a Diagnostic, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-159/#more-2340 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

255. The Real-Life Growth Path: How a Consulting Business Grew from $258K to $514K

You don’t need luck to double your consulting business. It’s possible for you, and even to double your revenue without working more.In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes of how one consultant went from plateauing at $258K to generating $514K, without working more hours.This isn’t a theory or case study. It’s a real-life client example.You’ll hear the five business shifts that made this growth possible and how each one can apply to your business right now, regardless of whether you're at $150K or already at a million.The key theme?Growth didn’t come from overworking. It came from commitment, capacity, discipline, and a willingness to challenge how he saw himself as a business owner.If you’ve been hovering at the same revenue for months or years, this episode gives you a path to break through your plateau.What you will learn in this episode:[06:40] The mindset shift that unlocks consistent revenue growth (and why many consultants unknowingly stall out right before the breakthrough)[08:55] How to value your capacity and stop undervaluing your time, even if you don’t bill hourly[12:15] The internal identity shift from executor to advisor and how it changes everything about your business model[17:50] Why quarterly targets helped normalize higher revenue (and how to stop operating from a corporate salary mindset)[21:30] How to refine your demand engine without piling on more tactics so you’re not relying on hope or luck to fill your pipelineTune into Episode 255 to see what doubling the revenue of your independent consulting business can actually look like and how these same principles can apply at any revenue level.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Download the Double Your Consulting Business Workbook, https://www.melisaliberman.com/double   Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-255Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Join the Lead Gen Sprint Waitlist - www.ConsultantSprint.comEpisode 060 – The 3 Sales Mindset Shifts for Independent Consultants, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/?s=60 ️Episode 061 – What’s Standing In the Way of You Making More Money With Less Worry In Your Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-61/#more-1297  Episode 200 - What's Possible for your Consulting Business, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-200/#more-2584 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.

254. How Much Is Enough Business Development for Consultants

How much business development is enough for your consulting business?This question is one of the most common and most costly open loops in an independent consultant's mind. Not having a clear answer leads to an open loop of second-guessing, self-criticism, and regret. When you don’t know the answer to how much is enough business development to support your revenue goals, it drains your mental energy, erodes your confidence, and ultimately stalls your results.In this episode, Melisa breaks down the five-part framework for determining how much business development is enough based on your business goals, not your feelings.You’ll hear how to stop relying on vague effort metrics such as time spent “networking,” and instead anchor your business development activities to tangible, measurable inputs that move your revenue forward. You’ll learn how to implement a minimum operating standard that keeps your pipeline warm even when delivery ramps up.And you’ll discover how to make your business development time more impactful, so you reduce can reduce how much your business requires without sacrificing results.If you’ve ever questioned if you should be doing more, or if you can’t answer “how much business development is enough to fuel my business goals, this episode is a must-listen.What you will learn in this episode:[04:26] The hidden cost of not defining “enough,” and how it quietly sabotages your energy, confidence, and capacity.[08:45] Why effort-based thinking doesn’t work and the mindset shift that anchors you in results-based business development.[11:12] How to tie your business development plan directly to your revenue plan so you're not relying on hope or hustle.[16:48] What a minimum operating standard looks like and how to apply it in your own business.[20:30] Why evaluating and adjusting your plan matters more than “doing more” and how to do it without judgment.[24:18] How to reduce your business development effort by improving the quality of your activities, not increasing your hours.Tune into Episode 254 to learn how to define what is “enough” so you can make your business development process more predictable.Mentioned ResourcesCompanion Resource: Download the Consulting Business Dashboard One-Pager, https://www.melisaliberman.com/consulting-business-dashboard  Full Show Notes: https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-254Melisa’s Books, Planners & Journals: https://linktr.ee/melisalibermanMentioned in this Episode:Join the 2026 Lead Gen Sprint Waitlist, http://www.consultantsprint.com/ Episode 216 - Identifying Leaks in Your Consulting Business Development Process, https://shownotes.melisaliberman.com/episode-216/#more-2681 Want help achieving your consulting business goals? Melisa can help. Click here for more on coaching tailored to you as an independent consulting business owner.